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On this day 55 years ago, NASA made history and became the first and only space agency to launch a successful lunar landing mission. Apollo 11 launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 16th, 1969, at 9:32 a.m. local time. The mission lasted eight days, during which time the crew made history as the first humans to walk on the lunar surface. After Apollo 11, NASA would successfully fly five more missions to the lunar surface and face a close scare with Apollo 13 before the end of the Apollo program in 1972, which also ended crewed space exploration efforts.
NASA Astronauts Made History Today In 1969 After Becoming The First Crew To Start A Successful Moon Landing Mission
Three NASA astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, took to space from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida 55 years ago today. Armstrong was the mission's commander, and he would go on to make history by becoming the first human to not only step on the Moon but also on an extraterrestrial planetary body. The other two were pilots, with Collins flying the mission's command module and Aldrin responsible for helping Armstrong fly the lunar module.
The Saturn V was a three stage rocket. Nine minutes after liftoff, the first and second stages separated. After the third stage's engine ignited, it entered an orbit around the Earth 12 minutes after launch. Apollo 11's lunar components finally separated from the Saturn V's adapter housing half an hour into the flight, marking the official start of the lunar portion of their journey.
Their lunar journey would take almost four days, allowing Armstrong and Aldrin to make history by becoming the first humans to walk on the Moon. While Armstrong went out first, before launch, there was considerable debate within NASA about who would take the first step on the lunar surface. Initially, it was reported that Aldrin would have been the first; however, NASA later confirmed that the mission's commander would instead have the honor.
After the Saturn V's Apollo 11 launch, NASA would fly five more successful crewed lunar missions. These would be Apollo 12 and Apollo 14 to 17. Apollo 13 was the only mission that failed, with problems surfacing while it was 330,000 kilometers away from Earth. NASA recovered quickly, and the next Apollo mission, Apollo 14 took to the skies in late January 1971.
To commemorate the Apollo 11 liftoff, NASA and Boeing are rolling out their current Moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), from facilities in Michoud to the KSC. SLS, along with the Orion spacecraft and SpaceX's Starship, aims to send the first humans to the Moon since the Apollo program. The rocket has already had one successful launch. This was its maiden flight in 2022, following which Orion spent roughly two weeks in the Moon's vicinity before successfully returning to Earth.
Liftoff!#Apollo11 lifted off July 16, 1969, at 9:32 am EDT, setting off on its history-making journey to land humans on the Moon. This landmark mission inspired people around the world as we witnessed the accomplishment of a seemingly impossible task. ▶️ https://t.co/6J3nxS2VxU pic.twitter.com/JgwZwbEwdQ
— NASA History Office (@NASAhistory) July 16, 2024
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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